Load transferring trailer hitches are known in the prior art. Such hitches serve to transfer a part of the trailer's hitch weight to the front wheels of the towing vehicle so as to distribute the hitch weight on both the front and rear wheels. The prior art load transferring hitches generally utilize some form of spring means mounted on the towing vehicle which, when tensioned by various mechanical or fluid pressure means on the trailer, produces the desired trailer load distribution on all wheels of the towing vehicle. Most existing load transferring trailer hitches employ either a manual or power-operated device to directly apply the necessary tension to the resilient load transferring means of the towing vehicle and to retain this tension during transport of the trailer. Thus, in the prior art, it is the same device or means which generates the necessary tension in the load transferring means which must maintain this force or tension during towing, despite the fact that the device is subjected to new and often much greater forces generated during towing and transmitted through the resilient load transferring means to the tensioning device. This can result in overloading the tensioning device to such a degree during towing that failure of the mechanism can occur, resulting in a potentially serious accident.
The objective of the present invention is, therefore, to overcome this deficiency of the prior art by provision of a unique means for applying initial tension to the load transferring resilient means during the trailer coupling operation and then transferring the tension loading to a more substantial and rigid load bearing means which is fully capable of withstanding the increased forces and shock loads generated during towing, and simultaneously relieving the initial tensioning means of the dangerous increased forces which it may not be capable of withstanding. In this manner, the safety of the caravan is greatly increased.